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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to give up and let the bum worms win?

141 replies

BumWormFatigue · 08/02/2025 19:56

Seven blissful weeks ago, I'd never heard of pinworms / threadworms. Then our toddler was beside himself trying to itch his bum one night, and after researching and looking in everyone's poo, I confirmed pinworms in all four of us 🤢.

Bought Ovex and dosed the household. Cut nails, boil washed everything, thorough showers and fresh towels every morning for everyone. Shampooed the carpet, bought new pillows for the children etc etc. We all take our shoes off and wash hands when coming home anyway, but also bought a nail brush for added thoroughness.

10 days later, toddler up again trying to scratch. GP recommends early 2nd dose, which we all have. Same again two weeks later. We still all have pinworms.

I am sick of laundry and getting up early to shower two furious small children before nursery. The cure is beginning to feel worse than the disease, seeing as three of us are asymptomatic, and the toddler is only bothered periodically. A bit of piriton and sudocrem on his bumhole seems to sort it on nights he is bad. Also, I've spent an absolute fortune on Ovex, which is money we don't have.

So AIBU to just ignore the problem? Or should I carry on all the extra cleaning / getting up early / Ovex indefinitely?

Any miracle cures for the little buggars appreciated too, if anyone has one.

OP posts:
ConstantlyTired312 · 09/02/2025 01:38

SpringChickenGiblets · 09/02/2025 00:53

Then he needs to stop biting his nails. It’s grim for a grown man to continually get worms, my vagina would be zipped shut until he learns to wash his hands, stop biting his nails and learn how to stop getting infestations of worms.

Show quote history

Yes! I bit my nails since I was a kid and us getting worms freaked me right out and I haven't bitten them since! Honestly, much better than any stop and grow rubbish 🤣

Valkyrie3 · 09/02/2025 01:44

Omg this is my biggest fear. I have never had them and nor have my children but I am petrified of getting them. I keep Ovex in the bathroom cabinet just in case.
Hideous thought.
Keep it up OP, do not give up!

oakleaffy · 09/02/2025 01:50

Blatantlybeyondhelp · 08/02/2025 20:07

That's insane.
A couple of doses of Ovex and NONE of the additional precautions you have taken have always sorted the problem out. Thread worms are, in my experience, very easy to eliminate.

You toddler is obviously getting reinfected somehow.
Do you have a cat?

Cats don’t carry threadworms-
It’ll be the Nursery which is a reservoir of infestation.
Parasitic worms are very host specific.

FreedomandPeace · 09/02/2025 01:50

For some insane reason at nearly 2am I find myself attracted to a thread ( forgive the pun) on pinworms.😳
Ive never heard of them but this just may make me stop biting my nails OP

So Thankyou for the thread. I’ve learned something new. Sorry I have no advice other than

I think we all need to buy some of that hand sanitizer so popular during Covid

Good luck OP and as an aside check out nhs website, if you stop treating them things can get even worse.

Miratea · 09/02/2025 02:02

It might be the dog that’s given it to you

oakleaffy · 09/02/2025 02:20

Miratea · 09/02/2025 02:02

It might be the dog that’s given it to you

Dogs don’t carry threadworms which are human specific.
Worms are host specific.

Dogs can carry a different type of worm that can affect people , but responsible pet owners worm their pets and pick up any poo they do

Visceral larval migrans is the dangerous zoonotic worm infestation-Also a new tapeworm coming in from Europe. ( Vets can advise on worming for pets) .

ByWaryCrab · 09/02/2025 02:37

BumWormFatigue · 08/02/2025 19:56

Seven blissful weeks ago, I'd never heard of pinworms / threadworms. Then our toddler was beside himself trying to itch his bum one night, and after researching and looking in everyone's poo, I confirmed pinworms in all four of us 🤢.

Bought Ovex and dosed the household. Cut nails, boil washed everything, thorough showers and fresh towels every morning for everyone. Shampooed the carpet, bought new pillows for the children etc etc. We all take our shoes off and wash hands when coming home anyway, but also bought a nail brush for added thoroughness.

10 days later, toddler up again trying to scratch. GP recommends early 2nd dose, which we all have. Same again two weeks later. We still all have pinworms.

I am sick of laundry and getting up early to shower two furious small children before nursery. The cure is beginning to feel worse than the disease, seeing as three of us are asymptomatic, and the toddler is only bothered periodically. A bit of piriton and sudocrem on his bumhole seems to sort it on nights he is bad. Also, I've spent an absolute fortune on Ovex, which is money we don't have.

So AIBU to just ignore the problem? Or should I carry on all the extra cleaning / getting up early / Ovex indefinitely?

Any miracle cures for the little buggars appreciated too, if anyone has one.

Apart from hoovering and bed changing and wiping cupboard handles I didn’t do any extra cleaning. The fridge door handle is the highest risk handle in your house. Very Important to be aware of infection routes. So, covering mouth for coughing, then hand washing. Wearing pants in bed under pjs. Stops child reinfecting hands even if he does scratch. Do you have family pets? Make sure they are wormed/groomed. Re take medicine as soon as you itch. If one persons itching everyone must take it regardless. Iron all crotches of underwear after washing. You shouldn’t have to buy medicine, your gp will prescribe. Have a word with all their friends mums, they may be getting re infected by a third party. Tell school/nursery for same reason. Will go away eventually.

PregnancyHormonesss · 09/02/2025 02:40

Oh gosh…and now the whole nursery will have them too!

ThatCraftyHazelQuoter · 09/02/2025 02:41

My son discovered he had worms the first day of our holiday. The timing worked well as we treated it that day and whilst away any rogue eggs at home would have died. So my advice is, if you're still infected, to take the treatment just before you have an extended period away from home in the hope that any eggs at home die before your return.

ByWaryCrab · 09/02/2025 02:43

FreedomandPeace · 09/02/2025 01:50

For some insane reason at nearly 2am I find myself attracted to a thread ( forgive the pun) on pinworms.😳
Ive never heard of them but this just may make me stop biting my nails OP

So Thankyou for the thread. I’ve learned something new. Sorry I have no advice other than

I think we all need to buy some of that hand sanitizer so popular during Covid

Good luck OP and as an aside check out nhs website, if you stop treating them things can get even worse.

In lockdown, almost no tummy bugs were reported at all due to extra hand washing. Very effective at controlling many things.

Toddlerhelpplease123 · 09/02/2025 02:47

Oh Jesus we haven’t had this yet!

Why are children so infectious! 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣

ByWaryCrab · 09/02/2025 02:47

ByWaryCrab · 09/02/2025 02:43

In lockdown, almost no tummy bugs were reported at all due to extra hand washing. Very effective at controlling many things.

Show quote history

This is a good thread and I too have learned much. Thank you to all. Has also got me through dreadful jet engine tinnitus bout and more disgusting back pain. Gonna try for p’ks and rest now.

ByWaryCrab · 09/02/2025 02:48

Toddlerhelpplease123 · 09/02/2025 02:47

Oh Jesus we haven’t had this yet!

Why are children so infectious! 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣

Cos they’re little and discover by touching and tasting…bless.

Dogaredabomb · 09/02/2025 02:49

My sister and I still shudder at the thought of drinking what we called worm juice

FreedomandPeace · 09/02/2025 03:27

Dogaredabomb · 09/02/2025 02:49

My sister and I still shudder at the thought of drinking what we called worm juice

🤢🤮
why oh why did I come back here for another sneak peak 😳

ByWaryCrab · 09/02/2025 03:29

Don’t shove it up your bum!?!

MumonabikeE5 · 09/02/2025 03:56

I’m surprised that you are not feeling bothered by them if you too have them. I find them so uncomfortable.

Autumn1990 · 09/02/2025 04:16

Sudo crem or Vaseline and good thick layer on the area at night stops any wriggling out and stops the item whilst the ovex works.
We had constant re infections until the nursery years were over.

margeyoursoakinginit · 09/02/2025 04:30

Never had them with 4 kids but I gave them Combantrin when they started pre-school and all through Primary beginning of every term. Look like chocolate squares ( is that your ovex). Not a problem. Highly recommended.

Resisterance · 09/02/2025 04:30

I found we always needed a Final third ovex treatment. Two was never enough. God it felt like those bloody worms did the rounds continuously for years! So sick of them. I feel your pain.

Glitchymn1 · 09/02/2025 05:11

YABVU to embrace the bum worms- get shot! Lots of good advice on here.

TammyJones · 09/02/2025 07:18

BertieBotts · 08/02/2025 20:56

Take the normal dose three days in a row. Kills them completely and you don't need to re-dose. (Disclaimer this is what I do because it's the packet advice for the exact same drug at the same dose, in the country I live. Obv do not contravene medical advice on the say so of a random interneter.)

Cut children's nails as soon as you notice they are long enough to get a line of dirt under them (preferably sooner)

You don't have to shower in the mornings or shampoo carpets. That's overkill - just get them to wash hands ASAP first thing in the morning, before eating, and if you notice any hands-in-pants activity. You can wipe around their bums with a flannel if you want, but it's probably not necessary.

Clean pants on for bedtime and stick them in the wash in the morning and then wash your hands after putting the washing on.

THIS
They will go on their own after about 10 days but you need to wash your hands after every trip to the loo. .... or you will reinfect.

tellitonthemountains · 09/02/2025 07:24

BumWormFatigue · 08/02/2025 20:21

My youngest just had his settling in sessions at nursery last week, and I did tell his key worker then, when we were going over any medical stuff. It's the same building that my eldest goes to pre-school, and also where the stay-and-play sessions are.

She laughed and said she had a granddaughter who got pinworms a lot, and that some children just did 🤷‍♀️.

I hadn't mentioned it to my eldest's key worker, as he's fully potty trained, so there's no reason anyone would have to be near his bum. I will email though, seeing as it's been suggested.

God she sounds annoying.

So they don’t plan to do anything to address it? 🤨

TammyJones · 09/02/2025 07:26

Swonderful · 08/02/2025 21:58

Nits are much worse because there's no medicine that really works.

Thread worms are fairly easy to get rid of with multiple doses so I suspect you are being reinfected somehow.

With regards to Nits - old hand here - forget all your expensive lotions and smelly potions. - lots of condition and comb hair either a fine tooth comb then rinse.
Do this for 3 or 4 days
Then make a habit of using a fine tooth comb on after washing hair
As kids we never even got nits ever- dad got this job and he did a very good job

MixedBananas · 09/02/2025 07:28

Polish have a recipe i think they use horae chestnuts I can't remember. But it orevebts and treats worms.
Chillys work also. But not for the kids.

If it is coming from schools notify the headteacher and request a deep clean and mass measage to be sent to parents. If people are unaware then it will just be spread over and over.

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